“If your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough." These are the words I’ll cling to for the rest of my years, no matter what anyone will try to tell me. I can’t remember how many times I’ve been told to “get a degree”, or better still, “get a degree with honours.” And after that, get a job. Growing up, it’s always felt like there was only one route to success—one that my parents, relatives, and Singapore society have already mapped out for me. Exploring isn’t encouraged. Stray a little from it and your life is basically ruined. It’s almost as if if your dreams didn’t fall on the beaten (to death) path, it's not worth having. And if it doesn’t earn you much? That makes it all the more pointless. “Dreams will be dreams”, our painfully realistic fellow Singaporeans will tell us, reminding us again and again of the risks of going our own way, the risks of pursuing what we truly want, as if it were already guaranteed that our dreams wouldn’t work out. But is it so wrong to want more than just a 9 – 5 office job?

If you have a dream, keep it big

Don’t let anyone tell you what to do or who to be. Cliché as it may sound, stay true to yourself. Living out someone else’s dream isn’t going to make you happy. Don’t belittle your dreams or let others make you feel foolish for having them. It’s good to have ambitions. It’s good to work towards something you feel deeply passionate about. Whether your dream is to be an artist or the CEO of your own company, keep dreaming, and keep those dreams big. Always make sure your dreams scare you a little, so they give you that rush of adrenaline you need to break out of the status quo.

Dare to talk about your dreams

Let’s face it. If you can’t even bring yourself to talk about your dreams, how will you have the courage it takes to achieve them? If you have a dream, own it, no matter the judgment or the looks people will give you. Own it, even if no one else gets it yet. Also, remember: the friends who support you and your dreams are the ones you should keep close. These are the people who truly understand you and have faith in your ability to turn your dreams into reality. While negative voices tend to be louder than positive ones, it’s important that you block them out and be receptive to support and advice from those who truly care. Don’t suppress your dreams, chucking them into the deepest recesses of your mind, wishing them away. The best way to keep your dreams big is to talk about them, and to speak them into reality, no matter what naysayers might say.

Find ways to make your dreams a reality

Making your dream a reality will require some strategy. It can’t come true if you don’t plan for it to happen. An important step to achieving your dreams is to break your bigger goals—those seemingly impossible ones—down into small, achievable objectives. Start small, and don’t discount your first steps, no matter how small or insignificant they may seem. If your dream is to be an artist, set aside time to nurture your artistic abilities and sensibilities. If you dream is to be a musician, perhaps it’s time to start singing some covers and putting yourself out on YouTube. Who knows what’ll happen from there? Along the way, look out for helpful classes, short courses and get professional advice when you can. It’s also good to surround yourself with the right people, people who are interested in and are driven by the same things you are, so you can help each other along. These steps may seem small at first, but over time, if you keep at it, you’ll find yourself that much closer to your dream than when you first started out. People aren’t afraid to have dreams. What they’re afraid of is chasing them. It’s easy to give up halfway and to let all the negativity surrounding you get you down, but here’s the thing about having a dream: you’re not going to have many supporters at first. Try something different, stray from the status quo, and leave behind the people who only ever put you down. Chasing your dreams requires stamina, faith, and a truckload of courage. There’s nothing wrong with envisioning something different for your life—a different picture of success. Like with most things, if you want it, it’s your responsibility to you to go out there and get it.

It’s the day you receive your diploma or your ‘A’ level certificate. University brochures are pouring in through the mail with their impossibly happy graduates, smiling about their university lives or their lives after that. “Come here. We’ll equip you with what you need to enter the real world”, they seem to say. If only this were true. How it is one can smile so glamorously in a study group, I’m not sure. Most of the time, we students are just slogging away when we’re in university. What’s worse, however, is that after years and years of mugging, late nights and examinations, grads are welcomed into adulthood with the best welcome gift: unemployment.

The New Unemployed

Got your degree? Congratulations! You’re officially unemployed. Upon graduation, graduates of 2016 will add to the “unemployed” statistics of the Singapore economy. Having a degree no longer gives you any kind of special edge and companies’ general attitudes towards graduates are more or less the same: “Everyone has a degree. Why should I hire you?” With an excess of graduates and a falling number of job vacancies, that piece of paper no longer represents any kind of job security. Welcome to the 21st century.

Hustle, Hustle, And Then Hustle Some More

When was the last time you heard of someone going on a gap year? You haven’t? Me neither. No one has time for that anymore, not in this economy. Some people even skip their grad trips—and not to save money. Graduates of 2016 will start their job hunt at the beginning of their final semester in school. If you haven’t secured yourself a job somewhere, brace yourself for the sympathetic looks from your peers who have. After 15-ish years of education, many graduates immediate dive into the working world. No one has time to rest or to take a breather - having a degree certainly won’t make your life any easier.

Eat Your Humble Pie

Despite the thousands of dollars we spend getting a university education, in 2016, the value of a degree is, sadly, equivalent to that of an ‘O’ level certificate 10 years ago. Everyone has a degree, so having a degree doesn’t make you very special. In fact, it’s the “bare minimum” if you want to land yourself a decent job. Having a degree is simply not enough; you need to supplement that with work experience. And those of us who didn’t plan as far ahead and who didn’t get around to beefing up our resumes will have to kick ourselves as we struggle to convince employers it's us they should hire. In this day and age, you can’t be too picky with your job. More often than not, it’s your job that picks you.

Coming Up With A New Strategy

While things may seem bleak, not all hope is lost. Instead of fighting their way into conventional paths, many graduates are creating their own paths through innovative startups. With graduates becoming increasingly disillusioned about their futures, many are looking into starting their own businesses, even if it’s got absolutely nothing to do with what they studied in university. With social media and a digital space that is open and available to all, these days, you don’t need a brick and mortar store to run a business. A little Googling and reading up online will tell you virtually everything you need to know about how to make the Internet work for you. And if e-commerce isn’t for you, you can be your own brand by putting your perspectives and personality out there. Millennials are a tech-savvy bunch and in the absence of opportunity, I think we’re adept to create some of our own. What this also means though, is that many degree holders will end up doing things that have little or nothing to do with the courses they studied—not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. Having a degree today really isn’t the same as having a degree in the past. Perhaps it’s time to rethink the possibilities that a degree can promise, and keep your mind open to other options.

We millennials are a restless bunch. We dream of cities beyond the borders of our tiny country and quaint little towns with their quaint little shops. We fantasize about hiking up mountains and taking a dip in crystal clear seas. We're restless for travel and are constantly in wait for our next big adventure. And when that time comes, when the tickets are booked and the arrangements have been made, we tend to go about the trip in a way that compromises on our experience. We don't get the most out of the trip we've saved long and hard for. There's a ton of advice out there on how to make the best of your trip, but not all of them are great--at least not to me. Here are some choice ones I think you're much better off ignoring.

1. "Plan plan plan."

Planning in itself isn't bad. In certain situations, it can be absolutely necessary, like when there are a million things you want to accomplish but only 2 days to do it in. If that's the case, plan away. Don't let me get in your way. But if you have the time (and money) to spare, ditch the detailed itinerary that tells you where you should be at exactly what time, and exchange that for some good ol' spontaneity. Between going to all the attractions you already know are good and eating all the food you already know are the best in the country, there's very little space for this new city to surprise you. In a time when there's an app or a website that give you reviews and ratings on every part of your travel experience, it might feel like an experience is only worth having if it's the best--or at least, really good. But you don't need to experience the best of everything. If what you're seeking is an authentic, live-like-a-local experience of the country, the best things to eat, best places to shop at, or best things to do in a country are not necessarily a true reflection of the place (*cough* Marina Bay Sands, *cough*). For a truly authentic and memorable experience, get lost. Literally get off the path well traveled. Try things, even if there's a chance it won't be good. Who knows, it just might be the most memorable part of your trip. After all, the best things in life are rarely planned.

2. "Take lots of photos."

Whenever we take a trip, one of the first things to go into our luggage are our cameras, followed by our chargers. That, or we clear out space in our phones to make way for new photos and new memories. You can't go on a trip and not take photos, right? I think if anything, taking photos takes away from our experience and hinders us from making memories. These days, it seems like we experience every special moment through some type of screen. We spend more time photographing a beautiful landscape than we do just reveling in it. We take pictures of food without appreciation of the culture surrounding it. We visit beautiful places only to take photos of it. You didn't come all this way and spend all that money just to experience a country through a screen. Set aside your phones. It's more important to capture these memories in your head than it is to have them stored away in your phone.

3. "Always go with someone."

People often say to travel in a group--the more the merrier. I disagree. Not only do you waste precious time in a new, exciting place waiting around for people to wake up and get ready, you constantly have to accommodate other people and there's always the possibility of conflict when you're all in each other's faces all day, for weeks. Instead of spending time grabbing a bunch of people to go overseas with you, consider traveling solo. Not only do you get the time and space to contemplate your life and yourself, you also get to meet new, interesting people, and soak up a new culture at your own pace.

4. "Always trust what the locals tell you."

While it's probably safe to trust a local to tell you where to get great food, you might want to think twice when it comes to places to visit. Many locals assume tourists only want to visit the same few places and recommend only what they think you like--which may be far from what you're actually looking for. Always give places a quick check online or ask around more before jumping on a local's recommendations!

5. "If you can’t speak their language, you shouldn't go there."

It can be daunting to visit someplace where you can't communicate well--or at all. How do I order food? What if I need to go to the restroom? While these are real concerns, don't write off a travel destination out of fear you'll be completely helpless once you get there. There are many ways to work around this problem--you just have to be creative about it. You can do your homework in advance and figure out what apps would be handy to have while there. Translation and travel apps are usually a big help. If all else fails, there's always pointing. Just make sure you have something to point to, like an address (hotels and places of interest), pictures and logos. There's always a workaround. It just takes a little more effort.